International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 10, 2019 1
Cultic Abuse Recovery: Counseling Considerations
By Rachel Oblak
In private practice in Vermont
Abstract
Recovering from cultic groups encompasses
many areas of healing and so can be a
complicated process. No single treatment has
been developed for working with cult survivors
therefore, clinicians need to be able to
synthesize their interventions from multiple
sources. This narrative synthesis review outlines
the key psychological components of cultic
abuse and recovery that counselors must take
into account when working with survivors of
totalistic, abusive, or controlling groups,
including practical needs, developmental goals,
emotional and relational issues, and trauma.
The author draws from both literature about
cults and survivors of cultic groups and from the
broader field of trauma, relational violence, and
displacement it highlights the subtle yet
important differences that may exist between
first-generation survivors and second-
generation survivors. She explores the potential
application and risks of treatment approaches
such as psychoeducation, EMDR, sandtray,
mindfulness, creativity, and somatic
interventions. Finally, she touches on important
ethical considerations related to power
dynamics and multicultural issues.
Keywords: cults, cultic groups, high demand
groups, abusive systems, counseling
competencies
There are a number of theories to explain how
cultic groups recruit, change, and control their
members (Hassan, 1990 Lalich &McLaren,
2018 Lifton, 1963 Singer, 2003) however, no
single theory encapsulates everything a survivor
needs for recovering and healing. Thus,
counselors often must be able to synthesize
appropriate interventions from a broad range of
approaches (DeYoung, 2009). Counselors need
to implement treatment with intention, using a
psychoeducational approach that takes into
account general knowledge about how cultic
groups affect people and also the specific needs
of individual clients, to incorporate a trauma-
informed approach for survivors who have been
traumatized. Although treatment often covers a
range of issues such as practical skills and
concerns developmental, relational, and
emotional processes and trauma, two
overarching goals for their clients can guide
clinicians in making informed choices about
what is likely to be most beneficial to survivors:
empowering autonomy and establishing
connection to the self (Hassan, 1990 Herman,
1997 Singer, 2003). In this article, I highlight
how counselors can pursue those goals as they
address some of the common recovery needs of
survivors, based on a narrative synthesis review
of the literature.
A comparison of how various theoretical
approaches define and describe cultic groups is
outside of the purview of this paper. However,
most cult theory references and is built on
Lifton’s (1963) eight criteria of thought reform
within totalistic environments. These criteria are
still frequently used to evaluate groups and help
survivors (Nunes &Timoner, 2007) readers
who wish to know more about cult theory are
encouraged to start with Lifton’s (1963) seminal
work. The International Cultic Studies
Association (ICSA) notes that within
professional circles cult often refers to groups
that use abusive or manipulative tactics (ICSA,
n.d.). For the purposes of this paper, cultic
groups are considered those groups that attempt
to control, manipulate, or abuse members in
ways that are likely to cause harm. Not every
person who exits a cultic group will have had the
same experiences, nor does every person who
experiences cultic abuse necessarily struggle
with posttraumatic stress or have the same
struggles in integrating and adapting to a
postcult life (Kendall, 2016 Lalich &McLaren,
2018 McKibbon, Lynn, &Malinoski, 2002).
Although this article focuses on the segment of
the population that is likely to have experienced

2 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 10, 2019
trauma and abuse, and to have recovery needs as
a result, the various sections should not be
misunderstood to apply universally to every
person who has been in or come out of a cult.
Therefore, I encourage readers not to get caught
up in defining a client’s experience for the client
at the expense of looking at the client’s
therapeutic goals and needs.
Practical Issues
Survivors of cultic groups share similarities with
other populations, such as domestic-violence
survivors and immigrants, particularly regarding
practical matters that the survivors may need to
address with the aid of a counselor (Herman,
1997 Kendall, 2016 Rosen, 2014 Singer,
2003). Those who come out of cultic groups
may have experienced an inordinate amount of
control exercised over their everyday lives
(Hassan, 1990 Herman, 1997 Lalich &
McLaren, 2018 Singer, 2003). Leaving one’s
group often means losing not just an ideology
but a support network, a livelihood, and even a
home (Kendall, 2016 Lalich &McLaren, 2018
Matthews &Salazar, 2014 Singer, 2003).
Consequently, helping stabilize a survivor by
addressing immediate and practical needs is
paramount (Rosen, 2014).
Moreover, for many individuals coming out of
highly controlling or abusive situations, leaving
is not a process that happens all at once (Brown
et al., 2005 Eichel, 2016 Herman, 1997 Lalich
&McLaren, 2018). Counselors may watch
clients return to a group or get involved in
another group multiple times (Eichel, 2016
Hassan, 1990). In instances of domestic
violence, researchers have found that it can take
multiple attempts for a person to leave before
leaving becomes final (Brown et al., 2005).
Intermittent therapy is by no means an indication
of failure of treatment (Eichel, 2016). Rather,
the cycle of leaving and returning may be a
process of one gathering the necessary internal
resources to make a permanent choice (Brown et
al., 2005 Herman, 1997). Therefore, clinicians
need to be able to allow clients the autonomy to
come and go as needed, and to provide a space
that promises respect for clients’ autonomy and
support that contrasts with the control of the
group (Eichel, 2016). To this end, Eichel (2016)
recommends pairing treatment with motivational
interviewing to ensure that interventions meet
survivors wherever they are in their process.
Stabilizing a clients’ immediate needs as much
as possible is often a primary step in therapy
(Rosen, 2014). Certain basic necessities, such as
clients finding a place to live and acquiring a
job, may need to be addressed before other types
of therapeutic work become an option (Rosen,
2014 Singer, 2003). In this context, it’s
important for clinicians to be aware of how
profound the culture shock may be for survivors
of cultic groups (Kendall, 2016 Lifton, 1963
Rosen, 2014 Singer, 2003). Rosen (2014) dubs
cult survivors “invisible immigrants” (p. 21)
who often experience difficulties in transitioning
similar to those acclimating to a new location
from other countries (Kendall, 2016 Rosen,
2014 Singer, 2003). Many survivors may need
to develop new skills to handle money, seek
medical care, and engage in various other tasks
and make other decisions that a clinician might
take for granted (Goldberg, 2006 Kendall,
2016 Singer, 2003).
If a survivor comes from a group in which
employment was strictly controlled or kept
within the confines of the group, the survivor
may need assistance with finding a job. Often in
situations of emotional or physical dependence,
finding employment and managing finances
become key in empowering someone to break
free (Brown et al., 2005) however, in such cases
in which lack of employment is a barrier to
one’s leaving a group, a survivor may also lack
relevant work experience. Like survivors of
intimate-partner violence, cult survivors can
learn to reframe the skills they used for survival
into marketable language on a resume
(Goldberg, 2006 Kendall, 2016 Morris,
Shoffner, &Newsome, 2009).
Developmental Concerns
Counselors must be aware of both the similar
and unique developmental aspects of recovery
for both first- and second-generation survivors
Frequently, survivors may struggle with issues
related to decision-making and may find
themselves grappling with rigid, black-and-
white thinking instilled by the group.